


If You Give A Little Bit of Love

by Little_Cello



Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Budding Relationship, F/M, Rare Pairings, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-05
Updated: 2013-06-05
Packaged: 2017-12-14 01:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/831129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Cello/pseuds/Little_Cello
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam is a ponce, and Dora is a right mouthy bird.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Give A Little Bit of Love

**Author's Note:**

> This pairing just popped up in my mind and hit me very very hard with feels. I'd go so far as to say it's my new OTP. So, as soon as I actually have the time, I'll dish out a lot of fic and art for it. Until then, have this little foretaste here. Takes place someplace between 1.01 and 1.02.
> 
> Title is taken from Free's "Little Bit of Love".

“You alright?”

 

The young woman looks up, startled. She's been so lost in thought that she didn't notice the man in the leather jacket, who now seems uneasy and apologetic.

 

“Sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you.”

 

“You didn't,” she replies, having regained her composure.

 

Silence settles between them. A few times, the man seems to be on the verge of saying something, but in the end he let his gaze roam, studiously avoiding to look at her, until she gets impatient.

 

“So, whaddya want? _Sam_?”

 

His eyes snap back to her face. “I just.... I wanted to make sure you were okay. No permanent injuries or... trauma. You seemed shaken back there... which is understandable, of course--”

 

She quirks an eyebrow, interrupting him, “Are you _really_ a copper?”

 

He huffs with a wry smile, looking down for a moment. “Possibly. And... I don't think I ever properly introduced myself.” He extends his hand to her. “DI Sam Tyler.”

 

She makes no move. “Am I supposed to be impressed now?”

 

The hand withdraws. “No, I guess not. Listen, erm...” Sam fidgets a bit, apparently unsure as to how to phrase what he's about to say. She waits, shifting her weight to one leg, eyebrows still drawn up high.

 

“... DCI Hunt. What did he... he didn't hurt you, did he?”

 

Momentarily, she's at a loss. Her mask slips, and she stares at him, utterly stunned. He takes this as some sort of confirmation of... something, for he takes a step forward, his voice stern. “Listen, Dora, if he hurt you, did anything to you... I don't know how much I can do here, in this place, but there's no way Hunt can get away with something like this. If he really did do something, anything, or threatened to, I'll do everything I possibly can--”

 

“Now hold yer horses for a minute!”

 

She didn't mean to shout, it just broke out of her. Sam breaks off, startled.

 

“What are you even on about?! Jesus, yer worse than me auntie Marble!”

 

She turns on her heels and marches off, a turmoil of emotions raging through her chest. Most of all, she's been caught on the wrong foot. No copper cares, has ever cared. He's just having a laugh, or worse yet, setting her up, of course he is. Bit of good-cop-bad-cop, the old game. His boss is probably waiting just around the corner, and he's definitely gonna give his deputy an earful after that massive failure. The thought lifts her mood somewhat. She resists the urge to look back, to see whether he still looks like a puppy forgotten in the rain. 

 

DI Sam Tyler.

 

Dora shakes her head. Ponce.

 

~*~

 

Well, that didn't go quite as planned. Sam grimaces. Scratch that, it was a disaster. He'd gone about it the wrong way, completely. Of course she wouldn't trust him, in this backwards time... Well, people didn't trust the police in 2006 either, but for God's sake, he could be with the Mafia and it wouldn't make a bloody difference. He hits the wall with his fist, not registering the pain shooting through his arm. Bloody Hunt, bloody police system, bloody brown-and-orange-tinged-nightmare. And he'd just wanted to help...

 

He runs a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. No use in whinging. Dora seemed fine enough, though it worries him that she reacted so evasively... But then again, who wouldn't? Sam's always prided himself in having a good hand with women, but what use is that when the ghost of a Gene Hunt is looming behind him, overshadowing each of his actions here? And now he's missed his opportunity to talk to Dora.

 

As Sam walks away from the hospital, he contemplates looking at the file from the witness statement, before remembering where (and especially when) he is. From what he as seen so far, files aren't exactly CID's priority. It makes Sam want to punch a wall again.

 

If there's a reason for him to be here, he thinks, it must be to make a difference. But he's tried, and failed. Spectacularly. Hunt would have had a good laugh at that. _Maya_ would have had a good laugh at that. Sam's chest contracts painfully at that thought, and so he hurriedly tries to distract himself, until his mind settles on Dora Keens again.

 

Truth be told, he doesn't think Hunt really hurt her. The man does seem to have certain... standards, how ever convoluted they may be. He doesn't seem the type to hit women. However, the young woman seemed so entirely out of it when she walked out of that cell... Sam can't forget the way her shoulders tensed, how she dipped her head to hide tears. Granted, he's glad that there was nothing left of that when he talked to her... but then, she might have been putting on a brave face, not wanting to seem weak. Sam can relate to that, easily. And for some reason which he doesn't quite understand yet, he wants to see what's behind that mask.

 

As he walks, Sam straightens up a bit, his stride becoming more purposeful again. Can't be too hard to find out where Dora lives. It's his duty to make sure she's fine, just like it is his duty to stand up to Hunt and the rest of the department. Until he finds a way home. And maybe that _is_ his way home – Dora was kidnapped, just like Maya, and he saved her. Maybe he has to look after her, make sure nothing else happens to her...

 

By the time Sam reaches CID again, he's full with energy and determination. He's found the solution, he's sure of it.

 

“Chris! I need you to look into the file on the Kramer case... Find the address of a witness.”

 

“Who, boss?”

 

“Keens. Dora Keens.”

 

Dora Keens. Sam huffs. His key to getting home.


End file.
